Readers' wishes from 23 years ago; some came true, some did not

Friday

Nov 8, 2013 at 12:01 AMNov 8, 2013 at 7:04 AM

Dave Bakke column: In the early part of 1991, I proposed to readers an exercise in magic. I asked them to consider themselves Supreme Ruler of Springfield, with the result that whatever they wished to do to improve the city would come true. That was almost 23 years ago, and I took a look back to what were people’s wishes for Springfield, some of which have come true and some of which, well, we are still wishing.

Dave Bakke

In the early part of 1991, I proposed to readers an exercise in magic. I asked them to consider themselves Supreme Ruler of Springfield, with the result that whatever they wished to do to improve the city would come true.

That was almost 23 years ago, and I took a look back to what were people’s wishes for Springfield, some of which have come true and some of which, well, we are still wishing.

And No. 1 on the list of suggestions in 1991 was improved traffic flow. That was the top concern of many of the people who responded, one of whom said the people who designed Springfield’s traffic flow were “bumpkins.”

Well, that’s harsh, even though you are aware that one of my top complaints about us is the overabundance of Springfield traffic lights and their detrimental effect on traffic flow.

Readers had traffic flow suggestions in 1991, the most popular being synchronizing the traffic lights. Hasn’t happened. Hasn’t even been talked about lately. I think we’ve given up.

But the city has installed more bicycle lanes, which a couple of 1991 Supreme Rulers wished would happen. (They hadn’t even imagined the bike trails we’ve gotten since then.)

One Supreme Ruler wished that Walnut Street and MacArthur Boulevard would be transformed into one-way streets. Twenty-three years later, adding more one-way streets doesn’t seem to be the way Springfield wants to go. It’s certainly not the way the Sustainable Design Assessment Team advisers want the city to go. Last year, that group suggested getting rid of the one-way streets we already have downtown.

A traffic wish that did come true was adding turn lanes to Peoria Road at its intersection with Sangamon Avenue.

Another decree from a Supreme Ruler that has happened, at least partially, is eliminating automobile traffic in Washington Park. It hasn’t gone away altogether, as that reader decreed, but it’s better than it was. And it’s still an agenda item for the park district, which this fall extended nonauto days in the park to weekdays on a trial basis.

One idea from 1991 that was right on the money was this one: creating an art center located downtown and named for its donor. And what do you know, along came Charlie and Kathleen Hoogland, and we now have the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Prescient, that one.

Another wish that came true: relocating Contact Ministries into a new building. In 1991, remember, Contact Ministries was at 401 E. Washington St. There already had been talk of moving it to the northeast edge of town. But the very next year, October 1992, ground was broken at 11th and Adams, where Contact Ministries relocated and remains today. So there’s another wish that came true. (Does anyone remember that the site at 11th and Adams was christened with water from the Sea of Galilee?)

But we still don’t have our White Castle, do we? A Supreme Ruler decreed in 1991 that Springfield would get one. Other restaurants wished for included Bob Evans (Done! Twice!), a PoFolks and a Naugles. What’s a Naugles? (I looked it up on the Internet. Mexican fast food. Doesn’t exist anymore.)

And the railroad tracks, as always, were the focus of at least one Supreme Ruler. This one decreed the Third Street Amtrak corridor would be raised so traffic could go under it. Now, 23 years later, what is being planned? Eight underpasses and one overpass! Except they’re planning them at the 10th Street tracks, not Third Street. Still, it’s the Amtrak corridor.

Someone did decree a White Oaks-like mall for the east side. Now, technically, the Northgate shopping area is in the northeast, but maybe that’s close enough?

Anyway, it was fun to look back on what we wanted 23 years ago, how Springfield has done some of those things and how some of our 1991 wishes have never come true.

Among those: We never tore down the Stratton Building. Delivery trucks still double-park downtown. We never got three cable companies to compete with one another for our business. Nobody rebuilt the Orpheum Theater. And buses still congregate twice an hour at Sixth and Capitol.

On the other hand, as those Supreme Rulers desired, the city’s recycling program is better. There are more flowers around Springfield than there were then. Moving the sanitary landfill from the east side means Peoria Road and Dirksen Parkway no longer have as many discarded mattresses, boards and couches, all of which fell from trucks on their way to the dump. I had forgotten that was a problem in 1991.

It’s also interesting what wasn’t wished for. Nobody wished for a completed Hunter Lake. Nobody decreed a new baseball stadium (but ours has had another 23 years to deteriorate since then). And, most surprisingly, no Supreme Ruler ruled for the return of LincolnFest. (Tricked you. LincolnFest didn’t end until 1993!)

Know of something quirky? Emotional? Funny? Inspiring? Dave Bakke is your man and his deadline is always near. Pitch your idea to him at dave.bakke@sj-r.com or at (217)788-1541. His column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. To read more, visit www.sj-r.com/bakke.